The present invention relates to a plug of a connector which is designed to have a variable number of plug contacts.
Increasingly, new technologies such as bus systems, fiber optic systems and more complex plug systems require innovative test strategies for electrical and non-electrical tests. The demand for higher throughput in mass production has to be weighed against small batch sizes and the demand for short set-up times.
The test specification may require a simple check of the connection, but may also require a high-voltage test to detect insulation faults. Furthermore, a test of electronic and electromechanical components and assemblies in wire harnesses may be requested.
The tests use plug-in connectors. The number of plug contacts must correspond to the test plug. This means that a large number of different connectors must be provided. For this reason, modular plug-in connectors exist which produce a plug adapted to the requirement through expansion of basic elements. These are laboriously assembled by screw connections or must be disassembled in a complex process when parts subject to wear must be replaced. This in turn results in financial and logistical expenditures.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide an improved plug of a connector that can be assembled in a less expensive and less complex manner.